Improvement in platform-scales



UNITED STATES PATENT QFFIGE.

HORATIO B. OSGOOI), OF BINGHAMION, NFAV YORK.

IMPROVEMENT IN PLATFORM-SCALES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 146,702, dated January 20, 1874; applicaticn filed May 17, 1873.

To all. whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HORATIO B. Oseoon, of Binghamton, in the county of Broome and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lVeighing-Scales; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enablev others skilled in the art to which it pertains to make and use it, reference being had to the accompanying drawings which form part of this specification.

Figure l is a perspective view of my improvement in an inverted position. a vertical section taken on line m .00, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical section taken on line y y, Fig. .l and Figs. 4 and 5 illustrate my invention as adapted for use upon portable platformscales.

In the d 'awing, A represents a plate, preferably of cast-iron. A A is a circular flanged socket, secured to plate A by means of screws or rivets a, or in any other suitable manner.

Both the flange A and the plate A are provided with screw-holes a, through which to secure the device to the under side of the platform of the scale. B is the bearing-block. It is circular in form, and is slightly tapering, (as is plainly shown in Figs. 2 and 3,) fitting loosely within the socket A The lower face of block B is provided with a semicircular groove or seat, 0. C is an elastic buffer, placed between the block B and the plate A. This buffer may be made of any suitable material, but in practice I prefer to make it of rubber, and in the form of a washer. D is a knifeedge, and E represents a port-ion of one of the levers upon which the platform is supported. In figures, the knife-edge is shown seated in the upper face of the lever, and in this construction I generally east the lever upon the knife'edge, making it (the edge) a little thicker at one end than at the other, so that I can drive it out for the sake of convenience in temperin In Figs. 1., 2, and 3, the socket is of uniform height throughout its entire circumference, and the knife-edge is a little shorter than the inside diameter of said socket, the seat I) in block B being of such depth that the knifeedge shall enter the socket some distance; thus preventing any lateral displacement of the bearing-block and the platform relative to the knife-edge and its lever, as is shown in Fig. 3. Figs. 1, 2, and 3 represent a construc- Fig. 2 is tion more particularly adapted for use in the larger classes of scales, such as those employed in weighing hay, coal, or railroadcars.

Fig. 4 shows a bearing for portable platform-scales, the tapering right-angled socket being intended to fit into a dovetailed recess in the metallic frame of the platform.

One edge of the socket/in Fig. 4has a notch, 11, cut in it at a point opposite the groove in the bearing-block. This notch should be of such depth as will insure that the edge of the socket at this point shall not bear upon the knife-edge, the position of the knife-edge in the lever in Fig. 5 being such that the notch b is required, in order that the socket may set low enough to bring the opposite wall at below the end of the knife-edge to keep the parts in position.

I usually line the groove 1) with a thin plate of steel, by casting the block '3 upon a suitable shaped strip, which can be tempered to any desired degree of hardness.

It will be seen that when the bearing-block is removed from its socket, the groove I) is open at both ends, and may be easily dressed to the required depth and snape so as to fit accurately the knife-edge, and the elastic washer G insures that the block shall bear upon and distribute the weight of the platform over the entire length of said knife-edge.

As the walls of the sockets rest against the ends of the knife-edges, and. thus keep the platform in its proper position relative to the levers, I am enabled to dispense with the stay rods ordinarily employed for that purpose.

Of course, the plate A might be dispensed with, and the block B and rubber O made to bear directly against the under side of the platform or its frame; but when the device is applied to a wooden frame, I prefer to use the parts, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new I In combination with the conical socket A the bearing-block B and elastic backing (J, for supporting the platform upon the knifeedge D, substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand and seal this 12th day of May, 1873.

HORATIO B. OSGOOD. [L. s]

Witnesses:

J. (J. Ronni), H. O. MERRICK. 

